Tricia Especkerman is one of those women whom other women want to be. Striking, svelte, smart and with a sparkling personality to boot, she’s often envied for having her cake and eating it. But it wasn’t good genes or pure luck that got her there. It was true grit and sheer willpower.
Food is Tricia’s passion, but once upon a time it was almost her downfall. Describing herself as a pudgy teenager, she said her wakeup call came while working in a hotel. A firm friendship had sprung up between her and the pastry chef, resulting in a daily supply of delicacies and an additional 12kg to her petite frame. Horrified, she knew it was time to pull on the reins.
But that didn’t mean severing her love affair with food. If anything, her new approach to eating has only strengthened her passion for it. Loving her body enough to care about what goes into it has taken her cooking to a new level, one that channels this love into the food and the hearts of those who eat it.
When did your food journey begin?
My love for cooking came before my love for food. Cooking was a family affair when I was younger and it formed a bond between our small but tight family of five. After church each Sunday morning, we would trawl the market together. This was one of my favourite weekend rituals because my mother is multi-lingual and I loved hearing her switch between languages when conversing with different hawkers. Once we reached home, we’d plan a meal and cook it together. Like every other mother, mine was fussy about what we did and how we did what we did in her precious kitchen. But she was also very encouraging. We’d ask, she’d teach and allow us to experiment and learn. In our eyes, she could do everything and we wanted to be her!
My sister and I blossomed as amateur chefs under my mother’s mentorship but it wasn’t until we flew the coop that we really discovered what it meant to cook. In mum’s kitchen, the tasks were always divided between us and we found certain areas of expertise. For instance, when we made pineapple tarts for Christmas, my skill lay in filling the moulds with jam while my sister’s lay in pinching the sides. Today, after numerous attempts, I have mastered the entire process! I love cooking and I can’t imagine my life without it.
Did you get off to a good start?
Not really! Among my first dishes was a cherry cake for my mother’s birthday. It was rock hard but my ever-loving parents ate every single crumb! Thankfully, things took a turn for the better from thereon to the extent that I now have a few signature dishes. One of them is mussels. I call it my cheating dish because it’s so easy to cook but looks like you spent hours slaving over it!
Healthy eating is easier said than done - more so when you live in a food haven like KL. What was your modus operandi?
Understanding food and my body. I worked in America for a few years and the wellness industry had just taken off there, so it was easy to get healthy food. I also learnt the power of moderation and that helped me lose a significant amount of weight. Then I returned to Malaysia and the real battle began. It was difficult, if not impossible, to figure out the number of calories in a plate of nasi lemak, char kueh teow or laksa. After weeks of paying attention to my body’s reaction to all these foods, I realised that I couldn’t eat fatty food anymore. I slowly learnt what I couldn’t eat, what I could and what time I should eat it. For instance, a slice of cake is better as a mid-morning than a teatime treat.
So you don’t feel deprived?
Not at all! Once I understood how my body works, I figured it was time to start enjoying food again, and if I was going to put on weight then I may as well do it the ‘right’ way. So I started cooking everyday. That way I could control the ingredients and the portions. I also make sure that everything in my grocery basket excites me. I love rocket, chopped mushrooms, eggplant, fresh tomato sauce with basil and bread. I rarely eat meat and when I do, it’s never processed meat.
I also experiment with different methods to find those that need the least amount of oil. I use yoghurt instead of santan in my curries, I boil or grill instead of fry meat, I eat brown rice instead of white and I make a lot of one-pot dishes cooked in homemade vegetable stock.
And I never scrimp on the cost of food. To me, losing the weight I gain from eating cheap food is a higher price to pay than buying slightly more expensive, quality food.
What do you eat on an average day?
I eat five times a day. I swim and as every swimmer knows, you’re ravenous by the time you climb out of the pool. To stop myself wolfing down a huge breakfast, I have a small serving of yogurt and a cup of fruit - usually two strawberries and three grapes - or juice before I jump in the pool. Once I’m out, I’ll have some toast and cheese. Lunch ranges from soups, salads and sandwiches with dressing on the side. I never have cream soups or mayo and mustard in sandwiches. Dinner is another salad or a light meat dish. My mid morning and afternoon snack are low fat bars or rice crackers.
Do you ever break the rules?
Of course! I cook everyday but Fridays or Saturdays are my play nights and I reward myself with a meal at my favourite restaurants.
What did you bid farewell to with a heavy heart?
Char kueh teow. It’s my absolute favourite food, but I haven’t eaten it in three years. The same goes for nasi lemak. I had to force myself to drive straight past the stalls and that’s when I discovered just how many stalls there are in KL!
Has your focus shifted from weight loss these days?
Definitely. I’m not so fixated on what the scales tell me anymore. In fact, I think I’ve become more relaxed after hitting the big 30. I’ve accepted my body and myself completely, so I don’t freak out if I put on the odd kg. However, I try to lose weight before the festive seasons so I can indulge a little more!